The fish and skewers taste really great and authentic. They also have different choices of rice combos, which are kids favorite. We are also impressed by the service. We will definitely come back. read more

Service was really quick and ambiance was really homey! Price is not that expensive for sure would come back!! read more

Meat Lover - Chinese Near Me - Riverside, California

See all

First time coming here and I am absolutely surprised how good the food was. Hands down best bbq-skewer place I've gone to and will definitely be back! read more

Meat Lover - What the inside looks like - Chinese Near Me - Riverside, California

My family was glad we stumbled upon Meat Lover today. Great tasting food! Superb service. Sherry the host even went over the menu with us.

Went with a group of friends and tried the chicken, lamb, pork belly and eel ball skewers and all of them were a 10/10. Perfectly cooked and seasoned we were pleasantly surprised. Also got a side of pork dumplings, black fungus, leek, mushrooms and pan fried instant noodles and it was all soooo good. The spice level on everything is perfect. Staff is very friendly and make you feel at home. A very relaxed ambiance. I definitely recommend trying this spot out. They also have a good selection on drinks (soft drinks, milky drinks, tea). Try it out! read more

Meat Lover - Chinese Near Me - Riverside, California

The food here is great. Lamb chops is very fresh and tasty. Fish is very good! Highly recommend to come here!

I am a regular customer here and I love ordering the pork belly and beef skewers. They're very yummy and I would say the pricing is good. The staff are always so sweet and I think the owner is the lady who wears glasses is especially adorable. The only thing I would have to say is that they never click the "order is ready for pick up" if you order through Yelp / Grubhub, so I always assume after ~20 minutes I would go pick up my order. Not that it is a big deal but I think it would be nice to not have to guess if the order is ready for pick up or not. My advice would be to call the restaurant if you do not get alerted if your order is ready. read more

This place is really good for the price and the food quantity! I always seem to have leftovers and the staff is extremely friendly as well! I tend to get the hot pot, and love the items it comes with it. read more

Meat Lover - Hot and Spicy Beef Pot Combo - Chinese Near Me - Riverside, California

Ordered from here for company potluck, I thought the restaurant is just fast food for nearby students. But the food is really surprised me. Fish is fresh, tastes not like frozen. plus multiple sides in there, one order feeds 4-5 people Fried chicken tenders are crispy and juicy, not losing any American restaurant. The chef recommended the Korean short ribs. Meat fresh, not dry, tastes better than some BBQ restaurant. read more

Meat Lover - Chinese Near Me - Riverside, California

If you are into authentic Chinese bbq kabobs this the right spot! The seasoning the sauce is soooo good! It's so flavorful and tasty! Also their bbq fish and beef hot pot is bomb as well! The new owners are super nice and sweet! read more

Meat Lover - lamb screwer is the bomb - Chinese Near Me - Riverside, California

See all

My daughter and I had a yellow croaker in hot and spicy base, added mushrooms, different types of tofu, and lotus root. It was excellent. I have been to China as many times as Tim Walz. The food at Meat Lover is quite authentic and quite good 麻辣 food (it happens to be my favorite), which isn't common in the US, not even in areas of the US with a lot of Chinese. read more

I'm not a fan of this place, the meats were poor quality. I was excited when I saw the Yelp photos, but the meat on a stick was chewy and dry. read more

This place was surprisingly a gem in Riverside. The waiter spoke both English and Chinese fluently and was quick to get us seated. We told her that it was our first time here and she gave us a full introduction to the menu and how everything worked. The interior is reminiscent of San Gabriel Valley cafes, and very much Northern Chinese. We ordered the beef skewers, short rib combination platter, and chicken tenders. To be fair, I was extremely skeptical of ordering chicken tenders at a Chinese place, but my boyfriend insisted, and I was glad he did because it was surprisingly delicious! It was not like American chicken tenders, but I believe they used a dark meat cut of the chicken, which was a great choice because it was super juicy on the inside, and had a crunchy exterior. The food only took about ten minutes to arrive and tasted freshly prepared. In the combination platter, you get a complimentary lemon iced tea, and cold sides in addition to your meal. The sides we got that day were Chinese-style stir fry tomato and egg, and fried tofu skins topped with green onions- it was very authentic and comforting. The short rib was thinly sliced with grilled onions, very much like Yoshinoya. The meat was very juicy and tender, so much so that it could be easily pulled apart with chopsticks. The serving size was pretty big to where my boyfriend and I couldn't even finish it. Lastly, the beef skewers were well seasoned and fatty enough to melt in your mouth with the initial bite. I really enjoyed this place, and would definitely return! read more

Meat Lover - Beef Skewers, Chicken Tender, Lemon Iced Tea, Short Rib Combination Platter - Chinese Near Me - Riverside, California

Great place close to the university. Good food and good service, perfect for a quick bite to eat.

We ordered bbq whole fish (Huang Hua Fish), lamb skewers, chicken heart and eggplant. All of the foods are delicious. I would highly recommend adding potato in the bbq fish. Their service is very, too. We had some free sunflower seeds as appetizer while we were waiting for the fish. read more

Meat Lover - -3 Grilled Yellow Croaker, Lamb Skewer, Chicken Heart Skewer, Garlic Eggplant Skewer - Chinese Near Me - Riverside, California

Horrible taste Choose mid spicy and the whole taste is sweet . Omg and the this dish cost $70 :) Packing sucks too . Try to save Money and no cover for that . Made my take all mass read more

Meat Lover - Chinese Near Me - Riverside, California

I've came here several times. The food and services are excellent. I love their fish and skewers.

The students' late-night cafeteria, with a humorous boss. Keep up the good work! The grilled fish is exceptionally well-prepared, with a wide variety of side dishes. The skewers are also expertly cooked, and I hope to see an expanded selection. read more

As I was ordering my food a lady that was already there walked up to me and told me she saw a rat !!! I canceled my order and left she looked very discussed of it too don't think she was lying at all and was just trying to help me out ... so if ur trying to go to this place just know what ur getting yourself into read more

ratings are 0-10. 0 being bad 5 being average, and 10 being outstandingly good Food| Portions size: 5 Value: 6 Taste: 7.7 Speed: 4.9 Service: 5.8 Notes: Love the spice and flavor. they season things well and everything was cooked properly. definitely not for those who don't enjoy spice or strong flavors. definitely would go again Good for friend groups?: yes, the food served here is meant to be eaten with a group, especially the hotpot. Good for date: solid contender for the area if you both love spice and are foodies. def not a first/early date location/vibe Notable dish(es): lamb skewers, hot pot, and fried chicken Location| Accessibility: 7 Design: 4.6 Area:4 Notes: Great for UCR students and those around the area wanting some pretty good tasting hot pot and dry pot. slightly off campus but it's still walkable depending on what you count as far. parking was easy with the structure in the back. just mind the speed bumps going into the structure along with the blind turn into it read more

Meat Lover - Chinese Near Me - Riverside, California

Lamb Skewer 4/5, a little more fat than I would've liked but still very delicious and well seasoned. Fish tofu skewer 5/5 Cucumber cold dish 5/5 read more

Amazing! The food was so fresh! We ordered hot pot, cucumber salad, and a medley of skewers. The other reviews are right, it reminded me of GUI except the the skewers here have much more flavor. We definitely will be coming back read more

Great service so far, will update on how good the food is. This place specializes in bbq and hotpot.

I've been here a few times now and just realized I've never written a review. This place replaced the old Piggy Pot joint although they never bothered changing the sign on the back door. It's operated by real Chinese folks and is a franchise of an apparently large Chinese chain (City of Industry has one as well). The concept is pretty simple yet unique, especially to Riverside. Basically, you order an entire fish (or fish filet if you can't handle a few large bones; also crab, shrimp, or mixed seafood) and choose one of a variety of flavors from no spice to very spicy. You add some other veggies or tofu and 20 minutes later, you get these huge flat pan of yummy seafood stew. We've ordered the tilapia on the manager's recommendation, chicken mushroom flavor, and been very happy both times. The fish is lightly fried first and then cut in half so that more surface area in contact with the stew, and veggies and other add-ins are put underneath. It's a lot of food for two people and we generally bring the soup home and add more veggies for another meal or two. Keeps quite well. In addition, they also offer Chinese style skewered meats. These are a common street food in China, usually featuring lamb meat, but here they offer chicken, beef, shrimp, squid, tofu, and corn. They also have a combo plate which is probably enough food for two. My only complaints are that it's a bit slow to get your food and it's rather pricey. The veggies add-ins (Step 3) are $2 a piece, despite what the menu seems to suggest (lotus root and ham are extra). Worth the money, but bring a group to make it more worthwhile. If you don't speak Chinese, expect a language barrier. Most of the clientele here are understandably Chinese, but give the place a shot and find someone to translate if you can! FYI, the restaurant name sounds weird because it's one way to translate 馋, which is usually used in regards to craving food, so it's more like 'gluttonous' or 'voracious' cat. read more

Meat Lover - English Menu (stolen from Yelp page for other restaurant) - Chinese Near Me - Riverside, California

This is my 2nd visit to this place. Love the quiet atmosphere & friendly customer service. The beef hotpot still as delicious & our family favorite dish. There are many varieties of add-on to the hotpot. I am looking forward for the next visit . read more

order the boneless fish meal. It came with a lot of veges and meat. Taste like tradition Chinese food. Good service and short wait. read more

Meat Lover - Chinese Near Me - Riverside, California

love the taste! The BBQ fish and all other skewer are so delicious! You will not regret! And the owner is a very nice person. Her amazing personality and patience make all customers feel very welcome. read more

See all

nice environment and relatively long waiting time nice food taste, Large amount of the food read more

Meat Lover - Chinese Near Me - Riverside, California

Very welcoming service. Our server was very nice and helped us understand the menu. The place is well kept with clean tables and a nice smell coming in. The food had pretty big portions (we got the large hotpot for 29.99) with good prices. read more

We ordered their house special fish, it was amazing! The service was also top tier, would definitely recommend.

If you love mala and skewer , you need to try this place. The lamb is so tender and juicy, i really love it read more

See all

Awesome food and good service! First time here and the service was immediate, seating immediately and food came out quick. Love this place!

The service here is good they are very accommodating and helpful! The skewers are good and the portion sizes are good.

Food is made fresh and the service is really good. A very welcoming environment! The server was helping us how to order and suggest some good dishes read more

The service was really fast. I like the vibe inside. The food looks amazing. Portions are really big too.

The menu was pretty diverse and had good customer service. Awesome ambiance and chill environment.

Good atmosphere and very fast service! Food looks very delicious and would definitely recommend if you're looking to have a good time out. Good for groups of friends and family read more

If you're craving authentic Chinese skewers, Meat Lovers is the spot! Fantastic variety, each skewer is grilled to perfection with the right amount of spice. Cozy ambiance and friendly staff. read more

This restaurant has a wide variety of dishes! The first time I went there, I was impressed by their tomato beef hot pot. I highly recommend everyone to go and have a look. This restaurant has hot pot, barbecue, fried rice, etc.; and the price is very good for students. If one person wants to eat a full meal, $30-40 is enough! This restaurant also has a choice of drinks (yes, there are all kinds of drinks, not limited to soda). This restaurant is my favorite since I came to UCR. The atmosphere in the store is also very good, and the service of the staff is also very thoughtful. I highly recommend everyone to go. Oh, by the way, this is also very suitable for family gatherings as well, because their hot pot has two sizes for 1-2 people and 3-4+ people, no matter how many people there are, they can eat a full meal. read more

Went to get food with some friends and found this place. The ambiance is really nice and feels really clean. The service was really quick and friendly. Food tasted great. Would go again. read more